Giant Warsaw Grouper Caught In Florida Weighed 347 Pounds

A giant warsaw grouper caught in a coastal Florida fishing tournament was weighed in at a whopping 347 pounds. With the monstrous total, the team catching it easily won the event, which took place in mid May.

The big fish was caught during the Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament, which operates on a point system that seems tied to the size and type of fish that get reeled in. There were a lot of points awarded to the winning team, called Jumbo Shrimp, for catching the fish.

Going into the tournament, the team was hoping to catch a warsaw grouper because of its point value. But they only expected to find one in the 70-pound range. Instead, using what they called a fairly small bait, they caught one nearly five times as big.

The giant fish was caught over a shipwreck in about 600 feet of water. It took 30 minutes of tiring the creature out before the crew could pull him aboard.

Top image: Anthony Panipinto with the 347-pound Warsaw grouper he hooked. (Courtesy of the Bradenton Herald)

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